Material science - new inputs in the field of preservation of historic stained glass windows

Material science can help to achieve valuable improvements for the preservation of our historic heritage, if focussed to the specific problems and performed in close cooperation with art historians and restoration experts. In this sense at the Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Silicatforschung, Wuerzburg (FRG), scientific investigations in the field of stained glass windows concentrate on the characterization of corrosion mechanisms, the quantification of deterioration effects and the development of protective coatings and restoration materials. The main advantage is quaranteed by the fact that the multidisciplinary research group is not just transferring existing technical experiences and methods to the sensitive area of glass paintings, but deals with innovative new approaches, tailor-made for the complex requirements of stained glass window preservation. By these means a new protective coating system could be developed as well as new methods to control and judge the protective properties of constructive measures like isothermal double glazings. The following report presents the project, summarizes some up to now achieved results and points out further activities. (ISC